The ban on campfires will be lifted in some areas of the northern B.C..
Effective noon Wednesday, they will once again be permitted in the Prince George, Fort St. James, Mackenzie, Peace and Fort Nelson forest districts in the Prince George Fire Centre and
the Skeena Stikine and the Coast Mountain forest districts in the Northwest Fire Centre.
The ban will remain in place in the Vanderhoof and Nadina forest districts.
A blanket ban on recreational fires within the city of Prince George was also lifted Wednesday, although they're still not permitted with the air quality advisory continuing.
The B.C. Wildfire Service attributed the move to a "combination of precipitation and a return to cooler, seasonal temperatures," while adding the ban is still in play for areas where the wildfire risk remains high due to dry conditions.
So-called category two and category three fires - those larger than a half-metre wide by a half-metre high - remain prohibited, as are the use of sky lanterns, binary exploding targets, burning barrels or burning cages of any size or description, tiki torches, fireworks and firecrackers.
Outdoor stoves are also prohibited with the exception of CSA-rated or ULC-rated cooking stoves or portable campfire apparatuses that use briquettes, liquid or gaseous fuel, so long as the height of the flame is less than 15 centimetres.
A ban on campfires remains in place in the Cariboo Fire Centre, although the restriction on backcountry recreation was lifted Wednesday, meaning users can once again access Crown land with the exception of areas where forest fires continue to burn.
Anyone found in contravention of an open burning prohibition may be issued a ticket for $1,150, required to pay an administrative penalty of $10,000, or, if convicted in court, fined up to $100,000 and one year in jail.
If the contravention causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person responsible may be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.
To report a wildfire or open burning violation, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cellphone.
